-2017 NFL Schedule -Strength of Schedule
MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2017 Draft Kit
Dwayne Allen will play for the Patriots after the Colts traded him away in mid-March. Once considered the top tight end in Indy, Allen has been fairly involved in the red zone but light on yardage, averaging under 30 yards per game. The only way Allen will have a chance to be as productive as Martellus Bennett was last season is if Rob Gronkowski misses significant playing time. Otherwise, Allen is only a late-round insurance policy in case Gronk goes down with an injury.
The Bears signed free agent tight end Dion Sims to a three-year, $18 million contract this offseason, including $10 million guaranteed, and he's expected to compete with Zach Miller for playing time. We expect Miller to be the better receiving tight end, but Sims should see plenty of playing time based on his ability to block. He's coming off a career year with the Dolphins where he had 26 catches for 256 yards and four touchdowns, but it's doubtful he's going to develop into a standout Fantasy option with this move to Chicago. Sims is not worth drafting in the majority of leagues.
Lance Kendricks signed as a free agent with the Packers this offseason, and he will be the No. 3 tight end behind Martellus Bennett and Richard Rodgers. Kendricks is coming off a career season with the Rams in 2016 when he had 50 catches for 499 yards and two touchdowns on 88 targets. We expect those stats to come way down barring an injury to Bennett or Rodgers, and Kendrick is not worth drafting in the majority of leagues.
Jared Cook is moving from Green Bay to Oakland, where he'll try to not be a Fantasy letdown. Cook should have put together one of his best seasons yet playing with Aaron Rodgers last year, but injuries limited him to another sub-400 yard season with one touchdown. He did perk up in the postseason, catching 18 of 32 targets for 229 yards and a pair of scores. That's what probably got him work in Oakland, where he'll provide relief in the red zone and in the middle of the field for Derek Carr. It's another situation where Cook should get some nice stats, but his track record is too well known. He's not worth drafting outside of deep, deep redraft leagues.
Rhett Ellison has moved on to the Giants, where he signed a surprisingly rich contract to theoretically work as their primary blocking tight end. There's a chance he unseats Will Tye as the main receiving tight end, too. There's also a chance he moves into an H-back type of role and gets 10 catches per year, which is what he's averaged up to this point. Ellison isn't worth drafting.
Escobar is signing a one-year contract with the Chiefs, ESPN's Adam Caplan reports. Escobar arrived in Kansas City for a visit Friday, and apparently management liked what he showed them. After entering the league as a second-round pick in 2013, Escobar struggled to make much of an impact behind future Hall of Famer Jason Witten, registering only 30 catches for 333 yards and eight touchdowns in 62 games. Although playing with a tight-end-friendly quarterback like Alex Smith could bode well for Escobar, having Pro Bowler Travis Kelce on the roster will again restrict him to a reserve role.
Darren Fells signed with the Lions this offseason, and he's expected to be the No. 2 tight end behind Eric Ebron. Fells has proven to be more of a blocker than a receiver during his tenure with the Cardinals over the past three seasons, and he only had 14 catches for 154 yards and one touchdown in 2016. Fells is not worth drafting in the majority of Fantasy leagues. That said, the early returns out of Detroit is that Eric Ebron is banged up again and Fells has been looking like a beast. As such, you should keep him in the back of your mind for a cheap/desperation weekly fantasy option as a fill-in if he starts the regular season hot.